Fire alarm recording device



Jan. 12, 1932. L. w. BILLS FIRE ALARM RECORDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 15, 1928 2 -SheetsSheet Jan. 12, 1932. 1.. w. BILLS FIRE ALARM RECORDING pEvIcE Filed Dec, 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1932 FATENE OFFICE LGUIS LB-T1113, F LEXINGTON, E'LASSAGHUSETTS FIB-E ALARM: RECORDING DEVICE Application filed December 15, 1828.

This invention relates to fire alarm apparatus and particularly to devices for recording the alarms or the numbers of the boxes from which the calls are received. Its 0b a ject is to provide a novel and improved device for recording the box numbers and having, among others, the advantages hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings of one embodiment of my in invention, described herein,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a partly conventional alarm or coil recording device containing my invention Fig. 2, a plan;

Fig. 3, a detail plan of the perforator operating and tape feed controlling device;

Fig. 4, a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 5, a cross-section on the line -5, Fig. 3; and

:1) Fig. 6, a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the escapement for setting in mo tion the recording means.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, my novel recorder comprises a preferably conventional i3 rectangular case 1, having preferably metal front and rear walls 2, 3, glass end and top plates 1, 5 and 6 respectively, these members being of heavy plate glass removably slidable in grooves in the side and end members, but not shown, so that a view of the interior may readily be had. The top and end plates may be locked in position by horizontal corner bars 7, 8 of metal secured by set screws 9 in the corners of the front and i rear members 2, 3.

Within the case, Figs. 1, 2, there is mounted a spring drum 10 on shaft 11, containing a coiled spring, not shown, adapted to be wound up on the shaft 11 by a suitable key. About both circumferential edges of the drum it is provided with teeth 12 which mesh respectively with teeth on pinions which drive trains of gears, one train not shown, being conventional and driving the paper feed, and the other pinion 13 which is one of a train of gears including gears 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and others not necessary to be shown, by which the central shaft for the perforator 21, Figs. 1, 2, and tape measuring member 23 and other parts are driven.

Serial No. 326,280.

This driving mechanism, so far as the gears are concerned, is conventional and no novelty is claimed therein, per se, and hence it will not be described in detail.

On the top of the case there is mounted au tape roll 24L from which is unwound the tape 25 as required. This tape is carried forward, Fig. 2, between two tracks 27, 28 on the front plate, and between upper and lower feed rolls 29, 30, the former, Figs. 1, 2, being an idler on the bracket 31 pivoted to the outer wall of side member 2, while the latter is rotated by the gears referred to. v

The correct amount of tape 25 fed forward by the roll on the shaft 22 already referred to is measured by the travel over a worm 23 also already referred to, of the downwardly extended end 341 of the slender finger 35, which engages the worm, Figs. 1, 2, the finger also having the laterally turned end 36 which, Fig. 2, when it finally reaches the end of the worm after the completing of the recording of the alarm and engages a pin 37, on the worm end, stops the rotation of it and the paper feed. The fin ger also has a curved foot 38 which rests upon the control means to be described.

This finger is vertically pivoted at 39 on a rotatable support 40 mounted between the front and rear side members 2, 3. The finger, Fig. 2, is normally retained under tension by a spring 41 on the rear wall 3, and when released from its engagement With the worm 23 by means to be described, is instantly drawn back by the spring to its starting position, see for instance dotted lines Fig. 2. This position, however, is variable and is determined by the adjustment of a set screw or tape control member 43, Fig. 2, in the rear wall 3 which determines at what point the finger shall first engage the worm.

hen the needle 35, having traveled the given portion of the Worm, approaches its end and is stopped by its contact with the pin 37 on the worm, which, with the paper feed, is always being driven by the spring driving mechanism if not stopped by the member 35 and pin 37 it will be obvious this rotation of the worm feed shaft has, through the Wheel 30, determined the length of tape that has been unwound during the recording of any one alarm or box call.

It will be clear that if the finger 35 begins its travel at a point on the worm as far back as the screw 43 will permit, more tape will be used during the travel of the needle to the end of the worm than would be the case if the needle were started on the worm at a point half as far back, for instance.

The finger 35 is automatically reset each time the tape is perforated, to record one numeral of the box number by means of the spring 41 and the tape control member 43 already referred to, but after the recording of the last number of the perforator 21 the finger 35 travels along the worm until the finger contacts with the pin 37 and stops the paper feed.

Heretofore, the finger or any corresponding element has been freed from the worm and reset by a suitable member, as the cylindrical shaft 22, at each complete revolution of the member and perforation of the tape has been likewise controlled. This has been found too expensive in the amount of the novel construction here shown.

In place of the single step or cylindrical construction of the member 20, so to speak, I provide a triangularly shaped one, the shaft 20 being triangular, for instance, or a triangularly shaped sleeve 44 for instance, as herein, Figs. 3, 4, 5, being slipped upon the shaft 20, so that each time it rotates, one edge will lift the foot 38 of the finger Fig. 1, positioned just above it, to free the end 34 from the worm 23, and permit the spring 41 to return the member 35 to normal position and thus each time the shaft 20 rotates one complete turn, the finger 35 is lifted from the worm, and returned by the spring 41 to starting position three times, and by suitable means to be described, the tape perforator has been actuated a like number of times. In order that the spring 41 may have sufiicient time in which to return the finger 35, before it again drops upon the worm 23 the edges 45 of the sleeve 44 are inclined longitudinally upwardly away from the normal position of the finger. Obviously it will take a slightly longer time to return the needle from the extreme detent end of the worm than from a point half that distance, and so the edge of the sleeve lifts the needle progressively higher as it is further removed from the normal or initial starting point. For the purpose of actuating the perfolength. Each time the shaft rotates one step or one-third of a. revolution, one face 51 of the plate will force the arm 52 pivoted at 53, downward against the spring 54 causing the member 21 to perforate the tape 25, and the arm is then returned to normal position by spring 54. Thus, by one complete revolution of the shaft 20, the perforator 21 will be actuated three times.

The escapement for the control of this perforating means is shown in Fig. 6 wherein there is illustrated, see also Figs. 3, 4, on the shaft 20 a triangularly shaped detent actuator 55 having three beveled fingers 56, each adapted to raise the detent 57 about its pivot 58 each time one of the fingers, in rotating to the right, Fig. 6, strikes the curved wall 59 of the member 57.

On the same shaft 20 there is carried on the shaft 20 adj acent the member 55 a similar member 60 as a perforator stop, with dogs 61 a little longer than the fingers 56, and with their straight sides 62 facing in the opposite direction, so that at each step, after the member 57 has been raised by the finger 56 as hereinafter described, the detents foot 63 is engaged by the fiat face 62 of the dog 61 to prevent further rotation of the shaft 20.

The shaft 20 is rotated as previously stated, through the train of gears and driving spring already described whenever the perforator stop 60 is released. This release, Fig. 6, is effected through the operation of an electric magnet 65, the armature 66 for which is suspended upon the lower end of a lever 67 pivot-ed at 68 between the front and rear walls. of the case 1, the upper end of the lever normally resting beneath and supporting the hooked end 69 of the detent 57. The lever 67 is locked in that position normally by the dog 7 O pivoted. to the wall 2 at 71, the dog being just above the pin 72 in the tongue 73 depending from the detent 57. The lever 67 is normally withdrawn from the magnet by a coiled spring 73 secured to the bottom plate 74 of the case. The operating circuit in which the magnet is located is an open one.

Each time a call is sent in from a box, the circuit is closed, drawing the armature 66 to the left, Fig. 6, against the magnet, thus throwing the upper end of the lever 67 a little farther to the right and directly beneath the downwardly extended hook or foot 69 of the member 57. When this happens, the dog drops from the full line position, Fig. 6, to its dotted line position behind the lug 75 on the lever 67 to hold it there.

hen the circuit is again opened by the release of the calling lever in the fire alarm box from which l e call is sent, the spring 7 3 draws the lever lower end toward it and away from the magnet with great speed. This throws the upper end of lever 67 backwardly I or to the left, Fig. 6, permitting the hooked end 69 of the detent to drop about or straddle the upper end of the lever 67, thus swinging the foot 76 of the member 57 to the left far enough to permit one tooth 61 to pass it and the shaft to rotate to that extent or onethird of a revolution and cause the perforator actuator 50, l and 3, to rotate to a similar degree and force the perforator 21 down wardly against the paper strip 25. As soon as the finger 61 has passed the foot 76, the finger 56 on the detent actuator 55, rotating to the right engages the curved wall 59 of the detent and raises its hooked end 69 from about the end of the lever 67 and also through the pin 72 on the tongue 73 raises the dog to its normal position forcing it against o the lever to lock the latter in ion again. This movement of her 55 also raises the detent 5? to its osition in time to cause the foot '76 to 5c the next fonowing dog 61 and prevent further rotation of the shaft 20 and movement of the perforator.

lVhen the call lever is again actuated in the call box, the escapement just described is again actuated, the tape all the time being fed from the roll and perforated as before, and the device again stopped by the same operation. After the last actuation of the perforator 21 as described, the finger 85 travels to the end of the worm 23, which has been made the desired length to furnish sufficient paper to record any box number, then strikes the lug 37, and stops the entire mechanism.

It will be obvious that by obtaining the multiple or accelerated. actuation of the perforator 21, upon a measured and limited feeding of the tape for each alarm, I achieve great economy in paper and limit materially the unwinding of the driving spring, which is greatly to be desired, thereby lessening the attention that must be given it.

This invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof described and illustrated.

I claim:

1. In a fire alarm recording device, tape controlling and perforating means comprising a multi-faced shaft, a multi-faced tape perforator actuator connected thereto, a perforator actuated thereby, tape feeding means, feed measuring means connecting the feeding means with the other controlling means and driving means therefor.

2. In a fire alarm recording device, tape controlling and perforating means comprising a shaft with a multi-faced member thereon, a multi-faced tape perforator actuator connected thereto, a rrforator actuated thereby, tape feeding means, feed measuring means connecting the feeding means with the other controlling means and driving means therefor.

In a fire alarm recording device, tape no" and perforating means comprisshaft, a multifaced member thereon, a muithfaced tape perforator actuator on the shaft, aperforator actuated thereby, tape feeding means, feed measuring means connecting the feeding means with the other controlling means and driving means therefor.

l. In a fire alarm recording device, tape controlling and perforating means comprising a shaft with a inulti-faced member thereon, a mnlti-faced tape perforator actuator connected thereto, perforator actuated thereby, tape feeding means and feed measuring means including a worm and a finger traveling thereon operatively connected with the other controlling means and driving means therefor.

5. In a fire alarm recording device, tape controlling and perforating means comprising a shaft, a step by step motion creating member on the shaft, a multi-faced tape p rforator actuator connected thereto, a perforator actuated thereby, tape feeding means, feed measuring means connecting it with the oth r controlling means and driving means therefor.

6. In afire alarm recording device, a base, tape perforating means thereon comprising a shaft, a multi-faced perforator actuator connected thereto, a rocking perforator actuated thereby, and operating means therefor comprising a magnet, a hinged armature therefor, and connections between the armature and perforator including a dog for the armature, a perforator detent with a U- shaped end to receive the armature end in operative position, and to rest upon the armature end in inoperative position, cooperating with the armature and perforator to effect perforating action by the latter.

7. In a fire alarm recording device, a base, tape perforating means thereon comprising a shaft with a multi-faced tape perforator actuator thereon, a rocking perforator actuated thereby, and operating means therefor comprising a magnet and its armature, a dog therefor. and connections between the armature and perforator including a perforator detent and detent actuator on the perforator actuator shaft cooperating with the armature and perforator to effect multiple perforating operation of the latter for each revolution. of the perforator shaft.

8. In a lire alarm recording device, a base, tape perforatingmeans thereon comprising a shaft, a multi-faced tape perforator actuator on the shaft, a rocking perforator actuated thereby, and operating means therefor including a magnet, a hinged armature therefor, a perforator detent with an armature receiving U-shaped portion, a rotatable actuator for the detent, and a perforator stop member both on the perforator actuator shaft, the latter constructed and arranged to be released when the armature is received in the shaped detent armature receiving portion to permit operation of the perforator.

9. In a fire alarm signal recording device a base, tape perforating means thereon comprising a shaft with a multi-faced tape perfrator actuator thereon, a rocking perforatoi actuated thereby, operating means therefor 5 comprising a magnet and its armature, a dog therefor operative when the armature is acted upon by the magnet; and connections between the armature and perforator including a pertorator detent, and detent actuator on the perforator-actuator shaft cooperating with the armature and pertorator to effect multiple perforating action by the latter for each single revolution of the shaft of the perforator actuator; and tape controlling and perforating means comprising a shaft with a multi-face surface, and tape feeding and measuring means including a worm, a finger traveling therein from an adjustable starting position determining the travel (litr tance, and operatively connected with the other controlling means; and driving means therefor.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS WV. BILLS. 

